Intel, Asustek announce plans for low-cost laptop
06 Jun 2007
San
Francisco: Intel Corp. has detailed plans to team
up with the world''s largest maker of computer motherboards,
Asustek Computer Inc., to make a notebook PC costing as
low as $200, and would cater to the education segment
in developing countries.
Intel, the world''s largest chipmaker, has distributed laptops to children in developing countries for years, but is yet to adopt mass production along the lines of another group, the One Laptop Per Child Foundation.
According to the plan, the low-cost PC would be a full-fledged, low-end notebook, as opposed to OLPCs green-and-white plastic, kid-friendly laptops be powered by hand cranks when electricity is not available, which cost about $180 each.
The OLPC Foundation announced last month that it expected
to commence delivery of millions of its low-cost notebooks
in October. It is the foundation''s most ambitious attempt
yet to provide the devices, which analysts say could shape
PC industry growth in developing countries.
Intel''s
laptop will use a lower-end microprocessor. It will most
likely have 7- or 10-inch diameter screens, plus either
traditional or a flash memory hard drive, and wireless
connectivity. One model will cost about $100, with others
going up to around $400 or $500 range. It will use either
a variant of the freely available Linux operating system
or will run Microsoft Corp.''s Windows XP.
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